A motorcycle or other two-wheel vehicle conventionally is equipped with a kickstand located at one lower side of the vehicle so as to be movable by the rider's foot from a raised or retracted position to a lowered, extended position in which it supports the motorcycle. The kickstand has a supporting arm which, in the extended position, projects downwardly and laterally and is of such length that, when the free end engages the ground or paved surface at ground level, the motorcycle may assume a generally upright condition which will be maintained by the kickstand, thereby enabling the rider to park and leave the motorcycle. Conventionally, the kickstand arm is of such length that, when the vehicle is in its parked condition, the motorcycle is not vertical, but is inclined or tilted toward that side of the vehicle on which the kickstand is mounted. This minimizes the possibility that the motorcycle will fall toward the opposite side.
In those instances in which the free end of the extended kickstand arm engages unpaved ground or pavement, such as asphalt, particularly on a hot day, the free end of the kickstand arm may become embedded with the result that the center of gravity of the vehicle moves so far toward the side on which the kickstand is mounted that the motorcycle falls. Even if the motorcycle does not fall, the embedding of the kickstand arm is objectionable for a number of reasons.
Some motorcycles are so heavy that, should they fall, the rider may be unable to restore the motorcycle to an upright condition without assistance. In some instances, assistance is not readily available so the rider of a fallen motorcycle may be unable to return the motorcycle to a usable position for an extended period of time.
Regardless of whether a rider may return a fallen motorcycle to a usable position, either with or without assistance, the falling of a motorcycle is undesirable because one of more parts of the vehicle may be damaged.
The disadvantages of the consequences of embedding the free end of a kickstand arm in soft ground or pavement have been recognized heretofore. One proposal to minimize embedding the kickstand arm is to provide a portable support which may be placed on the ground or pavement in a position between the ground and the free end of the kickstand arm. The support is formed of a material of such strength and area as to provide a rigid support for the kickstand arm. In use, the portable support is placed on the ground in such position that the free end of the kickstand may contact the support, thereby enabling the rider to park the vehicle even though the ground or pavement at the parking site is soft.
When such a portable support is used and the rider returns to the parked vehicle, it is customary for the rider to move the vehicle from its tilted, parked condition to a more upright position thereby enabling the portable support to be retrieved. When this occurs, however, the rider is in an awkward position during the retrieval of the support as a result of which here is a possibility that the rider will be unable to prevent falling of the motorcycle. This possibility is enhanced in those instances in which the rider may be astride the motorcycle and must lean over to such an extent as to grasp the portable support.
A principal objective of the invention is to provide a portable support which overcomes or greatly minimizes the disadvantages referred to above.